No Evidence Somali Interpreters Illegally Filled Ballots in Maine

On Oct. 30, The Maine Wire released surveillance footage from Lewiston City Hall that it claimed showed a “Somali translator” “clearly” filling out a ballot “on behalf of her client,” repeating the process for multiple voters throughout the day. Snopes reported that the conservative outlet called this a “blatant violation of state law,” and the video quickly spread across X, Facebook, and right-leaning publications including Fox News, sparking claims that Somali interpreters were illegally marking ballots during the 2026 midterm elections.

But Maine election law tells a different story. Under §672 of Title 21-A, a voter who cannot read or mark a ballot due to physical disability, illiteracy, or religious faith may request assistance from another person—provided that person is not the voter’s employer, an agent of that employer, or an officer or agent of the voter’s union. The aide must mark the ballot according to the voter’s wishes and may not tell the voter how to make their choices or otherwise influence the voter. The federal Voting Rights Act provides similar protections, allowing any voter who requires assistance by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write to be helped by a person of their choice, subject to the same employer and union restrictions. As of this writing, no evidence has emerged to support the fraud allegations, and the claim remains under investigation without substantiation.

Interpreters Accused of Ballot Assistance

The controversy centers on Lewiston, a city with one of Maine’s largest Somali populations alongside Portland. According to Snopes, The Maine Wire obtained the video through a public records request and accused the interpreters of “coaching” voters and “manipulating and even filling out ballots — a clear violation of state law.” However, the footage alone cannot determine whether the interpreters were performing their legal duties or attempting to sway voters. Maine law explicitly prohibits aides from telling voters how to make their choices under section 682, but marking the ballot according to the voter’s wishes remains lawful when requested.

No Evidence Somali Interpreters Illegally Filled Ballots in Maine

Jana Spaulding, a spokesperson for the Maine Secretary of State’s office, told Snopes in an email that as of this writing, the office “has not received any credible reports of interpreters engaging in illegal electioneering.” The claim remains unrated due to lack of evidence, with the U.S. Department of Justice reportedly reviewing the footage Maine Wire obtained. It also remains unclear from the footage whether the interpreters are actually Somali.

DOJ Investigates Intimidation Claims in Maine

The allegations drew immediate federal attention. On Oct. 30, the Department of Justice announced it would send election officers to Maine—specifically to Lewiston and Portland, according to the Secretary of State’s office—to respond to election fraud or voting rights concerns. The Wall Street Journal reported that Andrew Benson, a Trump-appointed U.S. attorney for Maine, said his office would review “evidence concerning complaints of voter intimidation and election interference at Lewiston City Hall.”

Interpreters caught on camera helping Somalians vote in Maine sparks DOJ review: Reporter

Yet the same footage that triggered fraud allegations also has prompted concerns about voter intimidation. Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline, a Democrat, pushed back against The Maine Wire’s actions in a Facebook response to the outlet’s conduct at City Hall. The outlet has separately come under fire for filming and allegedly harassing voters in Lewiston.

President Donald Trump has a documented history of attacking the Somali community in the U.S.—particularly in Minnesota—with anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric, and has targeted them in his anti-immigration policies. In Maine, where Lewiston and Portland have large Somali populations compared with the rest of the state, voters may receive assistance in marking their ballots under state and federal law.

The law draws a clear line: helping a voter read or mark a ballot is permitted; telling them how to vote is not.

“There appears to be a coordinated campaign of voter intimidation and suppression,” Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said on Facebook in response to The Maine Wire’s actions against interpreters at City Hall.

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